Chicken Frito Casserole...inspired by Gone Girl

I am looking forward to a vacation next week. There are all sorts of things I wanted to share with you recently but....busy, busy, busy.

Book reviews, our latest movies from Netflicks, a class Doug and I recently took together...lots of stuff. It's just been hectic. Some of the weariness from the last several weeks stems from work and a lazy git who left all of us in a bind with various projects. So I haven't wanted to get online much once I am home.

But enough of that - check out this amazingly delicious comfort dish called Chicken Frito Casserole. I just finished reading Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn and this was a dish I made, inspired from the book. My book review, not too revealing cause it's just that sort of book, may be found at Novel Meals.



This has to be one of the easiest, best tasting toss-togethers I have made in a while. Seriously, it gets even better as it sits a day in the fridge.




Chicken Frito Casserole

Ingredients

1 (6 pound) chicken (I used boneless thighs to save time)

Sauce:
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
2 tablespoon oil of choice
1/2 cup chicken broth, divided
3 dried guajillo peppers, finely chopped (Nope, I couldn't add this)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 cup crushed tomatoes

Chili Base:
Oil or butter
1/2 Spanish onion, diced
1 bell pepper, diced
1 cup crushed tomatoes
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup canned pinto beans
1 cup canned black beans


Serving suggestions:
Corn chips (recommended: Fritos), shredded cheese, shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, sour cream, sliced jalapenos

Directions

For the chicken: Add the whole chicken to boiling water and boil until thoroughly and safely cooked. (The skin should take on a visible color change, the temperature can vary depending on the stove, but typically, so long as the water is boiling, you are good to go.) Remove from the water and allow the chicken to drain and cool. Pull the meat in strips from the bone.

For the sauce: In a large saucepan, toast the garlic in the oil over high heat until lightly browned, 1 to 3 minutes. Add half the chicken broth and the peppers and sweat for 2 minutes. Add the tomato paste and crushed tomatoes and bring to a boil. Fold in the pulled chicken. Reduce the heat, add the remaining chicken broth, and allow the mixture to simmer 5 to 10 minutes while stirring continuously. Keep warm.

For the chili base: In a large saucepan, coat the bottom of the pan with the oil and sweat the onions and peppers over low heat . Stir often enough to avoid browning. Add the crushed tomatoes and spices and bring to boil. Add the beans and reduce the heat to a simmer. Let the base reduce to the thickness you like in your chili. Mix in the chicken and sauce and bring back to a boil.

Serve the chili with corn chips, shredded cheese, shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, sour cream, and/or sliced jalapenos.

Obviously (well, for anyone who knows me), I didn't use jalapenos. I am a weenie, a big ol' baby, about spicy foods. Who needs heartburn ...but do as you will.

Cheers, all, and I will be back with info about our class, movies and more!